Late charge gives more to cheer about

Understatement alert: this has been an abnormal year for area high school football.

Two traditional powers, Lancaster and Amanda-Clearcreek, won a combined five games. I'm not sure the previous time both those schools had losing records, but it's been a while to say the least.

Bloom-Carrroll made the playoffs for the first time in 12 years. Phil Mauro has a tremendous reputation as a coach, but not many could have predicted he'd have such a quick turnaround to a program that had 11 consecutive losing seasons.

What's been most surprising is the surge some teams made in the second half of the season to get into the playoffs. Just more than a month ago, it looked as if the area might be devoid of multiple playoff teams for the second consecutive year.

That had not happened once since 2000, but a miraculous final month gave four teams an extra week (at least) to their seasons.

Liberty Union looked in trouble after a 28-0 shutout loss to Licking Heights in Week 5. But the Lions did not lose another regular-season game, dismantling rival West Jefferson in Week 9 and avenging a 2011 loss to Grandview Heights in Week 10. At 8-2, Liberty Union made the playoffs with the same record they had when they missed the playoffs the previous year.

Canal Winchester finished the regular-season with seven consecutive wins and was the least shocking team to make the playoffs. The Indians had to go out of the Mid-State League-Buckeye Division on top, and they disposed of every opponent in a league that sent four teams to the playoffs.

Fairfield Christian was another team that had some tough losses early, including blowouts to Ashland Crestview and Dayton Christian. But the Knights, too, found their rhythm in winning five straight to make the Division VI playoffs. Knights coach Dave Daubenmire said the progress his team made was remarkable, and he did not expect his team to come so far. The Knights have only four seniors and hope to be back in the playoffs in 2013.

The most unexpected playoff team, Bloom-Carroll won its final three games to earn the No. 7 seed in Division IV, Region 15. The Bulldogs stunned Circleville (6-1 at the time) and Hamilton Township, keeping the Rangers out of the playoffs with a 30-25 win in Week 10. Mauro said this was just the start of what he hopes to accomplish at Bloom-Carroll.

Some programs have been up, some have been down. But the surprise emergence of a few teams late in the season has given life to an otherwise difficult string of Friday nights for area teams.